This invention relates generally to dental instruments for removing or ejecting saliva from the mouth of a patient during a dental procedure. More particularly, the invention concerns an instrument having structure for securely supporting absorbent rolls and for providing suction for ejecting saliva from the patient's mouth when the absorbent rolls are in their operative positions.
In the field of dentistry, it is well known that mucus, saliva and other fluids can accumulate within the mouth of a patient during various dental procedures. Fluid accumulation in the patient's mouth is particularly nettlesome during procedures performed on the lower teeth of the patient, since the fluid has a tendency to invade the work area. Thus, dentists or dental assistants use a variety of methods to absorb and/or remove fluids from the patient's mouth during the course of the dental procedure. In one of the more common methods, a device known in the trade as a Garmers cotton roll holder is used to retain a pair of cotton rolls in engagement about the alveolar ridge on both sides of the teeth of the patient. The cotton rolls absorb the saliva and fluids, keeping the work area around the patient's teeth clear and free from substances that might interfere with the dental procedure. The Garmers device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,625,739, which is incorporated herein by reference to illustrate one of the more commonly used dental appliances for removing or ejecting fluids.
While the Garmers absorbent roll holder has become somewhat of a standard within dentistry, it suffers from certain disadvantages that are addressed by the present invention. For instance, the Garmers device can be uncomfortable to the patient since the device is capable of scraping the alveolar ridge, lips, and gums of the patient. In addition, the Garmers device is not generally intended to be a disposable device, primarily because it is too costly for disposal after every use. Another drawback of the Garmers device is that it generally requires alternative means for removing excessive saliva and fluids, such as a suction tube periodically placed within the patient's mouth to remove collected fluids.
This latter difficulty with the traditional Garmers device is addressed in one fashion by various devices illustrated in patents to Cofresi, U.S. Pat. No. 3,049,806, Sommerstein, U.S. Pat. No. 2,950,533, Tofflemire, U.S. Pat. No. 2,791,030, Scott, U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,234, Lampert, U.S. Pat. No.2,180,249, and Baughan, U.S. Pat. No. 3,091,859. Many of the devices described in these patents provide means for removing saliva by a suction tube requiring continuous connection to a suction source during the dental procedure. None of these devices appear to combine suction means with the Garmers device configuration that has gained widespread acceptance and usage as one of the most efficient and practical configurations for retaining cotton rolls in a proper operative position about the teeth work area. In addition, most of these devices are difficult to clean and sterilize, but are not particularly well suited for use as a disposable product.
Other references of interest include the patents to Rosentheiler, U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,789, Fridge, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 2,914,852, and Larson, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,025.